Alli faults Makinde over doctors’, lecturers’ strikes, promises workers better welfare
Oyo State gubernatorial candidate promises worker support amid ongoing strikes
Sharafadeen Alli, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Oyo State governorship election in 2027, has vowed to ensure timely payment of salaries, allowances, and other entitlements to workers if elected.
Alli made his remarks in a statement issued Thursday by Bisi Oladele, the Director of Media and Publicity for the Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, in Ibadan. He criticized current Governor Seyi Makinde for failing to address the ongoing strikes by medical and dental officers as well as faculty at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso.
The strikes have significantly disrupted healthcare and education services in the state, leaving patients in local hospitals without essential medical care. Medical workers began their strike on Monday, while members of the LAUTECH branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities initiated an indefinite strike on Thursday.
The campaign organization faulted the state government for allowing disputes over outstanding allowances and the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement to escalate into strikes. Alli’s campaign described the medical workers’ demands—such as payment of outstanding allowances and restoration of salaries for personnel transferred to the Ministry of Health—as legitimate.
The organization warned that the withdrawal of medical services would exacerbate challenges for public hospitals, particularly affecting vulnerable residents who rely on state healthcare facilities. “Every additional day of this strike raises serious concerns about access to emergency treatment, continuity of care, and the welfare of vulnerable patients,” the statement noted.
Furthermore, Alli’s campaign accused Governor Makinde of neglecting state crises in favor of his presidential ambitions. “Rather than remain at his duty post to resolve a crisis that has further crippled an already struggling public healthcare and education system, the governor is busy chasing the mirage of an illusory presidential ambition,” the statement said.
The campaign organization urged the striking workers to remain open to dialogue and called on the state government to make emergency arrangements for individuals requiring urgent medical attention. It emphasized that an administration led by Alli would prioritize workers’ welfare, foster constructive engagement with health professionals, and improve facilities and equipment in public hospitals.
